Friends and neighbors,

As you are well aware, under the Tim Walz administration we have seen one fraud scandal after another. When we have asked for answers or tried to investigate, we’ve been met with deflection and excuses – not action. In fact, in committee the other day, Republican Senator John Jasinski asked the new commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget if anyone had been fired or disciplined for a fraud scandal. Her answer was no.

My Senate Republican colleagues and I are continuing our effort to stop fraud before it happens. This week we unveiled a fraud prevention agenda that includes real oversight, stronger penalties for those who look the other way, and far better transparency so you can see where your money is going.

Our proposal includes eight bills aimed at closing loopholes that allow waste to thrive. We’re pushing for a new, independent Office of Inspector General to root out corruption. We want stronger whistleblower protections so honest employees can report fraud without fear. We want tougher penalties for state officials who fail to act when they see abuse. And we are demanding more accountability for state grants, with better tracking, stricter compliance, and surprise audits to make sure taxpayer dollars aren’t being funneled into fraud.

This shouldn’t be a partisan issue. Democrats have proven themselves to not be responsible spenders, but a minimum expectation is that they take action against theft and fraud. That isn’t happening, and the so-called fraud proposals we’ve seen from Democrats amount to little more than rearranging deck chairs. They should join us in this very serious effort.

As always, if you have any questions or feedback, please reach out any time.

God Bless,